At the corner of 17th Avenue and Broadway, a young man built an oasis into his condominium. The tall corner window stretches floor to ceiling and a red snapping turtle swims lazily, turning to watch puzzled passersby. I peek through the window and see wide fountains and housebound pools. Succulents stretch over bookcases, creek stones, and a long-abandoned guitar. Life explodes in there, its momentum spilling under the door frame and through the cracks in the caulking. It strikes neighbors and pedestrians with the urge to stand still and quietly overflow with emotion. Girls on cell phones and secret amphetamines walk by. They stumble in their animated conversations, never sure what has shaken them.
Musical Inspiration: A Shoreline Dream – Peel You Open. No real background to this story, except to say that I would probably not want to be this guy’s downstairs neighbor.
